1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving image reproducing apparatus capable of easily changing a parental level in the case of being at a level with restriction harder than a reference level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video software recorded on a DVD (optical disk) includes an extreme violent scene or a love scene, etc. and these scenes may be unfavorable for education of children. Thus, in a DVD player or the video software recorded on the DVD, there was conventionally means for providing a function of restricting video reproduced according to age of a viewer. That is, in a DVD on which the video software is recorded, there was a DVD in which a parental level (viewing age restriction level) is preset every scene (chapter) according to contents of software. Also, in a DVD player, there was means for providing a parental locking function capable of controlling reproduction of video software every scene by cutting a scene which does not desire to be shown to a child and shifting to the next scene or exchanging for another scene based on a parental level preset in the video software and a reproduction permissible level of a parental level preset by a manager of the apparatus at the time of reproducing video software recorded on a DVD.
In the DVD player in which the parental locking function is provided, a parental level can be switched to eight levels from a level 1 to a level 8 in order to cope with systems of all the countries of the world. For example, in the United States of America, setting of the parental level is associated with a rating system. That is, a parental level 7 is set to a level at which viewing of persons 17 years old and less is not admitted (NC-17: No One 17 And Under Admitted). Also, a parental level 3 is set to a level at which guidance is required from a guardian to a child (PG: Parental Guidance Suggested) since the contents which may be improper to a small child are included. Further, a parental level 1 is set to a level recommended to general viewing audiences (G: General Audiences).
Therefore, when a DVD in which a parental level is set is reproduced in the DVD player having the parental locking function, reproduction could be performed while automatically cutting a scene which does not desire to be shown to a child even for software of an adult movie etc.
Also, in the conventional DVD player, at the time of changing a parental level, an input of a password was normally required so as not to easily change setting of a parental level. Also, a disk reproducing apparatus in which a parental level can be changed individually by inputting ID and a password at the time of viewing video software and an input of a master password of a manager is required at the time of setting or changing a parental level has been proposed (See, for example, JP-A-2002-112181, Pages 3 to 5, FIGS. 1 to 5.).